For one former Liverpool player, this weekend has brought the ultimate redemption after experiencing moments of hell earlier in his career.
Eight years ago this week, the Reds reached their first of three Champions League finals under Jurgen Klopp, but the showpiece in Kyiv is remembered for two costly errors from Loris Karius in a 3-1 defeat to Real Madrid.
He would never again play for LFC after that fateful night in the Ukrainian capital and admitted earlier this year that, when the Merseyside club released him in 2022, he thought his career in football was over.
The ex-Liverpool goalkeeper is now playing with Schalke 04 in his native Germany, and on Saturday they were celebrating promotion back to the Bundesliga with two games to spare after a three-year absence, following their 1-0 win at home to Fortuna Dusseldorf.
Karius kept his 12th league clean sheet of the season in that season-defining victory and has a terrific concession rate of just 24 goals in 29 appearances throughout the campaign, an average of 0.83 per game (Transfermarkt).
The Athletic’s German football correspondent Seb Stafford-Bloor highlighted the 32-year-old’s contribution to the club’s top-flight return as he posted on X: ‘Schalke are promoted and there are many reasons why, but Loris Karius is among them.
‘He’s been essential and a less experienced goalkeeper might not have handled the big club environment as well. Well done him. I’m sure there are few who begrudge him this moment.’
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Liverpool fans will be delighted for Karius that, after the nightmare of Kyiv in 2018 and the mental torture he experienced in the months after that defeat to Real Madrid, he’s now been lauded as a hero of Schalke’s return to the Bundesliga.
He played a vital role in the game which clinched promotion, too, with the club’s official match report highlighting ‘a fine save’ to deny Tim Oberdorf when the Gelsenkirchen side were delicately retaining their 1-0 lead early in the second half.
Este es el verdadero renacer.
A Loris Karius siempre lo persiguieron sus errores en la final de la Champions League 2018 contra el Real Madrid, que le costaron la Copa al Liverpool.
Desde ahí, su carrera se fue para abajo. Entre el 2020 y el 2024 jugó apenas 5 partidos (4 en… pic.twitter.com/NxG2zZ2UCm
— Juez Central (@Juezcentral) May 2, 2026
As frequent Champions League participants in the past (and semi-finalists in 2011), Schalke will feel they are now back in their rightful place in the top flight; and based on his season’s heroics, surely the former Reds goalkeeper will be a crucial figure for them in the Bundesliga as well.
We can only imagine what must’ve been going through Karius’ mind after that fateful final eight years ago, and we can’t speak highly enough of his resilience in coming back from that to play a vital role in his current club’s promotion, and be recognised as one of their main heroes.
Good on you, lad, and may the good times continue for you into next season as well!
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Good luck to him. Just another reminder though, even with klopp, without a top class keeper we wouldn’t have won anything. Remember that champions league final and karius, and mignolet wasn’t good enough either. As FSG are about to cash in on Alisson who’s still world class. Imagine the Liverpool defence next season without Alisson.
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